by Delaynna Trim, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art Curator of Collections
The Chinese New Year or Spring Festival starts January 22. The Chinese calendar is based on the movements of the moon, this is called a lunar calendar. The new year begins on the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Did you know that not everyone uses the same calendar? The Gregorian calendar, what many in America and in Europe follow, was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. This replaced the previous Julian calendar which was used from 46 BC (Julius Caesar introduced it!) to 1582. The Gregorian calendar more closely follows the solar year – the revolutions the earth makes around the sun.
The Spring Festival can last up to 16 days. The Chinese New Year is celebrated with family gatherings and fireworks. The Chinese will often decorate using intricate red paper cutouts. Red paper is used because it is associated with festivities and happiness. In the Chinese tradition, paper cut outs are used in New Year festivities, weddings, and to celebrate births. Red is also used because of a myth that Nian, a beast that comes out on New Years to eat people, is scared of the color red.
Children receive a red envelope with money inside as part of the New Year celebrations. Sometimes these red envelopes are given to friends and co-workers as well.
Chinese New Year celebrations end with the Lantern Festival. This year the Lantern Festival is February 5.
Each year in the lunar calendar is represented by a Zodiac animal. 2023 is the year of the Rabbit in this calendar. To celebrate rabbits, let’s look at a popular piece at the museum – Boy with Rabbit by Joe Taylor. You might have seen it many times without really looking at it. Well, the fish are really distracting! This bronze sculpture has been sitting on the fountain in the courtyard since the early 1980s, watching over many generations of koi fish.
Joe Taylor (1907-2000) was an art professor at the University of Oklahoma from 1932-1970. He created over 500 portraits over his lifetime. He won numerous awards for his sculptures. Some of his work can be seen on the campuses of Oklahoma Baptist University and St. Gregory’s University (now Oklahoma Baptist University Green campus).
Paper Cutting for the Chinese New Year
You will need red paper, scissors, pencil and an eraser.
Fold the paper in half.
Draw your design.
Use the scissors to cut out your design.
You can fold and cut just like you would to create a paper snowflake.
If you would like to see how to create some fun designs, check out some videos demonstrating the technique - https://www.mgmoa.org/art-projects/
